


Bow to Your King

by indiepjones46



Series: Chance in Hell [1]
Category: Lucifer (TV)
Genre: Angst, Biblical References, Chloe repents, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Porn, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Hell, I reply to all comments, Linda gives good advice, Lucifer is in hell, Marking, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, POV Alternating, Porn with Feelings, Porny porn porn, Post-Season/Series 04, Punishment, Religious Imagery & Symbolism, Rough Sex, Sex, Spoilers, Unnecessarily Detailed Smut (UDS), Wing Kink, cursing, devil sex, i love porn, it's pretty cool, mild Self-harm, read it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-18
Updated: 2019-05-18
Packaged: 2020-03-07 10:03:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 13,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18870982
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/indiepjones46/pseuds/indiepjones46
Summary: ***Spoilers for Season 4***It has been one month since Lucifer left her and returned to Hell to reclaim his throne, and Chloe is an emotional wreck. Swamped by regret, self-recriminations, and depression, she turns to Linda for advice.





	1. Chloe

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: do not own or profit from any copywritten material. I'm just playin', y'all.
> 
> Notes: So, this is my first fic for this fandom! Hello to everyone! I have several other fanfics under my belt from other fandoms, and I hope you find something to enjoy in this one. If you are not familiar with my work, let me be the first to tell you that there will be blood, sex, and emotion out the yang, but rarely all three at the same time. 
> 
> This fic was inspired after binge-watching the latest season on Netflix. I was very unhappy with Chloe's reaction to seeing Lucifer's devil face, and I still wasn't satisfied by the ending. This fic is my way of allowing Chloe to find redemption and engage in hot devil sex at the same. I hope you enjoy it! Please feel free to leave a comment. I reply to everyone!

_“BOW DOWN TO YOUR KING!”_

 

Chloe jerked awake as the last, sonorous echoes of the devil’s voice echoed in her mind. She sat up in her bed, covered in cold sweat and hot tears, and buried her face in her hands to weep. It was the same dream that she’d had every night for the past month since Lucifer had returned to Hell, and she couldn’t help but feel that she was living in her own version of the place since that night on his balcony when he’d flown away from her.

She knew from experience that she would not be able to go back to sleep, so she pushed the covers off her body and slid from the bed. A quick glance at her cell phone told her the time was only 3 am, but she still padded to the kitchen on bare feet, dressed in one of Lucifer’s stolen button-down shirts, and went through the rote motions of making coffee. While it perked and spread its aroma throughout the apartment, she made her way to the bathroom to shower away the dried salt from her body. She paused in front of the mirror hanging over the sink and stared at the stranger in the mirror.

The woman staring back at her had long blonde hair that hung limp and damp from sweat, and her complexion was wan and sickly. Dark bruises marred the skin beneath her dull blue eyes, and her full lips were chapped and cracked from weeks of mouth-breathing due to crying. The woman in the mirror was a reflection of not only the physical manifestations of Chloe’s heartbreak, but also of the emotional toll of her anguish, loss, and depression. More than anything thing else, though, it reflected her guilt and self-loathing.

She tore her gaze away from the mirror and turned instead to the shower. She twisted the hot water nozzle on full blast, dropped her panties to the floor, and carefully hung Lucifer’s shirt on the hook mounted to the bathroom door before stepping inside the shower stall full of steamy clouds. She hissed as the spray made contact with her bare skin, but she did not flinch away from the burn. Instead, she submerged herself in the punishing, stinging needles of hot water and relished every flare of pain that lit up her nerve endings like the 4th of July night sky. She closed her eyes as the burning water saturated her scalp, washed over her face, and cascaded down the slopes of her breasts until it reached the delicate, exposed lips of her sex where the water burned, and pain blossomed.

She knew she wouldn’t be able to tolerate the temperature for long. The first time she’d tried it had been the night Lucifer had left. She had only been able to tolerate the heat for a few seconds before she’d desperately turned the cold-water knob, but every night since then, she’d grown more accustomed to the pain. Lately, she’d been able to withstand the heat for up to ten seconds before she’d been forced to add cold, and her body was now splattered with first-degree burns that protested the fresh assault of heat, but she refused to heed her body’s cry for relief. She deserved every searing flash of pain for what she’d done to him.

Still, she was weak. She was human. So, she turned the knob to release the cold water until the shower spray was cool enough not to burn her skin, but warm enough to sustain the pain radiating from the existing ones. Without conscious thought, she reached for the loofa and body wash and mindlessly scrubbed every inch of her raw, sensitive flesh as she relived every mistake she’d made over the past several months. She forced herself to remember the betrayal of her actions in trusting Father Kinley and conspiring with him to send Lucifer back to Hell. She relived the moment when she’d nearly succeeded in slipping the potion into his cup, and she replayed the expression of disgust and anger that had wreathed Lucifer’s face the night he’d demanded to search her purse and confronted her about her betrayal.

She finished soaping her hair, and as the water washed away the suds, she reminded herself of all the times over the past few years that she had wounded him by not believing his stories. He had never lied to her about anything, and she had repaid him with rolled eyes, scorn, and sarcasm. No wonder he had chosen to go back to Hell. It had to be better than staying with her.

Chloe turned the shower off and reached for the towels to wrap around her sopping hair and body. Idly, she wished that fabric wasn’t so soft and dry against her blushing, hot skin as she quickly brushed her teeth. Back in her bedroom, she dropped the towel to the floor and aimlessly plucked out items of clothing from her dresser and closet. She bypassed the blazers, suit pants, and officer’s uniform without looking at them and chose a loose-fitting blouse with long sleeves and a pair of jeans instead. There was no need to put on her detective clothes, after all. She was on mandatory leave of absence from work for the next two weeks. The captain had dressed it up nicely as an enforced vacation, but they both knew the truth. Chloe was in no shape to do her job, and she needed to get her shit together before she would be allowed to come back.

Thankfully, Dan had recognized the signs of her grief before anyone else, and he’d been the catalyst for her leave of duty. Mere days ago, he’d held her as she’d cried for another man and comforted her with his solid presence. It was more than she had ever done for him after losing Charlotte, and his kindness and concern had only fanned the flames of her self-loathing. In the end, Dan had carried her to bed and tucked her in as he assured her that Trixie would be excited to spend a few weeks with her abuela and cousins in Santa Ana. He’d promised to take care of everything, and the only thing he’d asked for in return was that she get some help.

Two days later, and she was all alone and drinking coffee in her kitchen at 4 am with nowhere to go and nothing to do except think. Her thoughts were unordered and chaotic, full of Lucifer in both human and devil form, with clothes and without them. She no longer flinched from the memory of his mottled red skin, glowing eyes, and leathery bat’s wings. In fact, she found herself no longer afraid of his devilish appearance, and instead longed for it. She would give anything to be near him once more so she could prove to him that she was no longer afraid and beg him to forgive her for being weak and for hurting him.

When the sun finally rose over the horizon and her kitchen clock said it was 6 am, Chloe dumped her coffee cup in the sink and grabbed her purse on her way to the front door. She had to get out of her head, and that meant getting out of her apartment. If living in Los Angeles was good for anything, it was for distractions. Traffic was notoriously terrible during rush hour, but it didn’t affect Chloe like usual. It wasn’t like she needed to hurry to a crime scene or Trixie’s school, so she endured the slower cars ahead of her and didn’t curse at the delay of an accident. Eventually, she pulled into the parking lot of her favorite bakery close to the station and went inside. Without thinking about it too closely, she ordered two cups of coffee and a cup of decaffeinated tea along with a box of assorted pastries and returned to her car with a new purpose. Even as she turned her car in the opposite direction of her house, Chloe refused to acknowledge her true motives in launching an impromptu visit to see Linda and the baby.

She knew she should have reached out sooner to check on the new mother after the harrowing experience of Charlie’s kidnapping, but she hadn’t been able to face her. After all, it was Chloe’s fault that all of this had happened in the first place. If Chloe hadn’t believed Father Kinley’s lies and had trusted Lucifer with the truth from the beginning, he would have never been driven to find comfort in Eve’s embrace. If Chloe had not looked away in fear from Lucifer’s devil face, he would have never reunited with his old flame. The deaths, the kidnapping, the demon possessions, and the loss of her partner all could have been avoided if only she had been stronger.

She knew that if she allowed herself to question the wisdom of an unannounced visit at 8 am on a Monday morning, she would talk herself out of it, so she gathered up her offering of coffee cups and bakery box and marched resolutely up to Linda’s front door. Mindful of the possibility of a sleeping baby, she eschewed use of the doorbell and used her knuckles to rap softly on the door instead.

Barely any time passed before the door swung open to reveal the handsome visage of Amenadiel. “Chloe,” he said, his tone clearly indicating his surprise at her presence. “Is everything alright? Has Lucifer returned?”

She instantly felt bad for inspiring the spark of hope in his dark brown eyes, so she hurried to correct him. “No, nothing like that, Amenadiel. I was just, uh, driving through the area and thought I would stop by to say hello.”

His expression softened into a teasing smile and he held the door open in clear invitation. “You just happened to be driving by our house in the opposite direction from the station with three coffee cups and pastry box?” When Chloe began to stammer an excuse, he only chuckled and waved her inside. “I was only teasing, Chloe. You never need an excuse to be welcome here. Please, come in.”

Chloe slipped past the tall, intimidating angel with a grateful half smile. She had been unsure of her welcome after weeks of silence on her part. She had gone out of her way to avoid anyone that had reminded her of Lucifer in the past month, but it hadn’t helped her in the least. Everywhere she went and everyone she saw reminded her of him, and there was no escaping the memories that assaulted her at every turn. She needed help, she knew that, and the only person who could help her was the one person she had wronged the most. Linda had no reason to forgive her for her role in the abduction of her newborn son, but she was the only one who knew the real Lucifer and could fully understand the ramifications of his loss.

“If this is a bad time, I can come back later,” she offered weakly as Amenadiel liberated the tray of drinks and box of pastries from her hands before escorting her to the living room.

“Nonsense,” he brushed her concerns aside with ease. “Linda should just about be finished nursing. Both she and Charlie would be happy to visit with Aunt Chloe.”

Shame made the acid in her empty stomach bubble and churn. She didn’t deserve that title, had done nothing to earn his high regard of her, but she swallowed past it to mumble, “Thank you, that would be nice.”

His footsteps were confident and unhurried as he led her into the living room where she saw the familiar blonde head of the psychiatrist bent down to peer at the bundle of blankets in her arms. She was humming softly and rocking the chair as she rhythmically patted the rounded bottom of the baby, and Chloe’s heart swelled as she remembered doing the same with Trixie for hours on end. The only difference was that Linda’s baby was half angel with the temperament to match.

“Linda,” Amenadiel hailed his son’s mother with a wealth of love and affection coloring his tone, “Look who’s come for a visit.”

Chloe forced herself to meet the gaze of the woman she had so wronged and braced herself for the condemnation and anger, but it never came. Instead, Linda’s eyes widened behind the wire frames of her glasses, and a bright smile broke over her lips. She wasn’t a traditionally beautiful woman, but Dr. Linda Martin had a strikingly lovely smile that turned her pretty features into something altogether pure and trustworthy. Becoming a mother for the first time had only softened her edges and added a glow of warmth that both soothed Chloe’s nerves and calmed the queasy roil of her stomach.

Chloe wiggled her fingers in a weak imitation of greeting as Linda shifted Charlie in her arms and stood to her feet. “Thank god you’re here,” the petite woman exclaimed, real pleasure adding sincerity to her words. Her gaze was diverted by the items in Amenadiel’s hands, and her expression turned greedy with anticipation. “I haven’t had another adult to talk to in days. And you brought doughnuts from Amon’s Bakery? I could seriously kiss you right now,” she said as she juggled the baby with one arm while lifting the lid on the box with the other hand. “Who knew that breastfeeding took so many calories?”

Chloe’s shoulders relaxed and her chuckle held audible relief as the angel seamlessly transitioned his son into his own arms while Linda took possession of the coffee and pastries. His tone was carefully devoid of emotion when he explained, “She and Charlie haven’t left the house since that night, and we are understandably cautious about who we allow near our son. In fact, the only visitors we’ve had over the past month are Ella, Dan, and Maze.” He deliberately stepped closer to her so that his son’s angelic face was in full view, and the scent of baby powder tickled her nose as he captured her gaze to add softly, “And now, you.”

Her nose tingled and her eyes watered at the implied trust in his tone. Didn’t he know the truth about her? Hadn’t Lucifer confided in him about the way she had betrayed him? If he only knew how she had harmed his brother, Amenadiel would not be so welcoming.

“Like I said,” Linda tossed over her shoulder as she arranged the cups and pastries on the coffee table, “I haven’t had another adult to talk to in days.” She ignored Amenadiel’s grumble of complaint at her insult, but he graciously accepted the cup of coffee she placed in his hand. “Amenadiel, will you put him to bed while Chloe and I catch up, please?” Though she had framed the question as a request, they all knew it was a subtle command for him to leave.

He was gracious in dismissal, though, and made his exit on the pretense of taking Charlie to his nursery. Linda, on the other hand, grasped Chloe under the arm in a surprisingly strong grip and hauled her over to the couch where she unceremoniously pushed Chloe to take a seat. Pausing only long enough to pluck a chocolate-frosted donut from the box, the petite psychiatrist said, “Now that he’s gone, maybe you can explain why you haven’t returned any of my calls or text messages. I’ve been worried about you, Chloe.”


	2. Chloe

Chloe avoided the censure in the woman’s piercing gaze and reached for the cup with her name on it. “I’m sorry, Linda. Things have been busy at work the last few weeks,” she hedged as she sipped at the dark roast coffee and felt it burn its way down her throat.

Linda voraciously finished the donut before snagging another one and reclaiming her perch in the rocking chair across the table from her. “Is that the real reason why you’ve been avoiding everyone? Ella says you refuse to talk about Lucifer’s continued absence and will bite the head off anyone who dares to ask about him. Maze tells me that she’s seen you on Lux’s security cameras going to Lucifer’s penthouse at all hours of the night, but you always make an excuse to leave when she tries to talk to you, and Dan is concerned that you’ve lost weight and never seem to sleep. Looking at you now, I can see that they were right to be worried.”

Chloe self-consciously tucked an errant lock of hair that had escaped the severe bun on top of her head behind her ear and sternly reminded herself that she had promised Dan to get help. Linda was uniquely qualified to offer it, but only if Chloe could find the strength to ask for it. Still, it wasn’t easy to relinquish control of her turbulent emotions, even to someone she trusted like Linda.

She squirmed beneath the gimlet stare of the diminutive therapist and covered her unease by joking, “Don’t hold back, Linda. Tell me how you really feel.”

Linda took her at her word. “I don’t intend to, and I expect the same in return,” she replied crisply. “You are obviously deeply troubled, Chloe. While I can take a guess at the cause, I can’t truly help you unless you are willing to unburden yourself and be honest. There is no judgement here. I am not your therapist; I am your friend. Let me help you if I can, please.”

A single tear escaped the prison of Chloe’s eyes to trail down her cheek and her breath stuttered on an inhale as she replied softly, “I don’t think anyone can help me now. Not after what I’ve done.”

Linda’s eyebrows lowered in concern, but she did not look away even when Chloe couldn’t meet her earnest gaze. “What did you do that makes you believe that, Chloe?”

The dam holding back the roaring tide of her emotions cracked and buckled beneath the weight of her guilt, and it all came rushing to the surface at once. Between choked sobs and gasps for breath, Chloe confessed her sins. She told Linda everything starting with the fateful night she’d seen Lucifer’s devil face and been forced to face the truth about him. She told her about fleeing the country with Trixie in search of answers, told her how she had met Father Kinley and conspired with him to incapacitate Lucifer and send him back to Hell, and described how Lucifer had confronted her for her betrayal. She told Linda about the prophecy and explained how it was her fault that Charlie had been taken, that all those people had been slaughtered to allow demons to possess them, and that Lucifer had been forced to go back to Hell to prevent it from happening again. She had failed all of them, but no one more than Lucifer. “I couldn’t bring myself to look at him the night of the masquerade ball when he fully transformed, and it wounded him. I was still afraid of his devil form, and he knew it. But when he transformed and reclaimed his throne and commanded the demons to leave, I couldn’t look away from him. He was magnificent and powerful, and I...and I...,” Chloe stammered as she wrestled with shame and fear.

Throughout it all, Linda never interrupted her to refute or agree with her, and she had even joined her on the sofa to hand her tissues and rub soothing circles on her back while she sobbed in her hands.

“And you what, Chloe?” Linda asked her calmly.

Chloe swallowed thickly before she whispered, “I _wanted_ him. I wanted to bow my knee along with the rest of them and do whatever he commanded. I wanted to touch him and be touched by him just as much as I do when he looks human, but there was no time to tell him or explain before he left me. I may never get to see him again, and he will spend eternity believing that I find him repulsive,” she explained bitterly as she accepted a fresh tissue from Linda. Her breath caught in her throat as she added softly, “I pushed him away out of fear and ignorance, Linda. I betrayed his trust and broke his heart, and then had the nerve to tell him I love him when it was too late. How do I move on from that?”

Linda finally spoke, and her tone was full of compassion and understanding that felt like a balm to Chloe’s raw heart. “Chloe, I know you believe everything you just told me, but not all of it is the truth. You may have made some mistakes along the way, but you are not responsible for the actions of gods, angels, and demons. It is not your fault that Lucifer came to earth and left Hell unattended, or that the progenitor of our species snuck out of heaven to stalk him and summon demons to earth. Every step of the way, you did everything in your power to do the right thing while grappling with the new reality where the man you love is literally the Devil, but nothing like the stories you read in the Bible growing up. Your initial fear of Lucifer’s devil form was an instinctual, human reaction to the divine. Believe me, I’m still coming to terms with it three years and one half-angel baby later,” Linda confessed wryly before she sobered to add, “Your attraction to Lucifer’s devil form is also a natural reaction, Chloe. No matter what face Lucifer wears, he is still an angel born of gods, with powers and an eternity of existence beneath his belt. He is more than the human façade he wears on earth, and the fact that you want that part of him, too, means that there is hope for you both.”

Chloe offered her a wobbly smile, but it faded just as quickly as it bloomed. “There’s nothing I can do to make things right with him, Linda. He’s gone for good this time, and there’s no cell phone reception in Hell. He’s just... _gone_.” The exhaustion that washed over her with that word was immense, and she swayed with dizziness before righting herself.

Without hesitation, Linda picked up another donut and handed it to Chloe. “Eat this before you pass out,” her friend insisted with a bossy, motherly tone. “You have to start taking better care of yourself, Chloe, and that means eating actual food and getting plenty of rest. A lot has happened to you in the past few months. Give yourself a break from the world. You have two weeks off work, and Trixie is safe and happy in Santa Ana with Dan’s family. Allow yourself to grieve but forgive yourself for being human.”

Chloe finished the last bite of the sugary pastry and immediately felt better physically, even if she was still an emotional wasteland of regret. “How can I begin to forgive myself when I haven’t asked for it from him? I will never be able to forgive myself until I can make it up to him.”

Linda’s head cocked to the side and her eyes lit up with an idea. “Have you tried praying?”

Chloe looked at her incredulously. “Seriously? I have nothing to say to Him,” she insisted, pointing her finger accusatorily at the sky. “As far as I’m concerned, He can stay out of it from now on.”

Linda was not dissuaded, however. She warmed to the topic as she leaned closer to whisper conspiratorially, “No, not to _Him_. To _Lucifer_.”

Chloe reared back and nervous laughter bubbled past her chapped lips. “Are you out of your mind? You said it yourself; Lucifer is an angel, not a god. He wouldn’t be able to hear me... Would he?”  She couldn’t hold back the spark of hope that lifted her voice.

Linda shrugged and answered honestly, “I don’t know. Stop playing by human rules and expecting human results, Chloe. Lucifer is not human no matter how much he looks like one sometimes. He is a divine being capable of great and powerful things. Even if he can’t hear you, would it matter? You can still talk to him and tell him everything you never got to say to him in person. You can explain how you feel and talk to him whenever you want. Have faith that Lucifer can hear you, and who knows what may happen?”

Chloe wanted to brush aside Linda’s suggestion, but she had seen too much over the past few months to dismiss it out of hand. It wasn’t like there was any other non-lethal option available to her in a situation like this, and she needed to do _something_. Linda was right; she needed some time alone to get her head right. She needed to talk to Lucifer and tell him how she felt about him. He deserved to know the truth, all of it this time. She owed him at least that.

Chloe nodded her head wearily and said, “Maybe you’re right, Linda, at least about the eating and the sleeping. I haven’t been doing much of either for the past month, and it’s finally catching up to me.”

Linda reached out and captured Chloe’s hand in her own and squeezed her fingers. “You’re welcome to lay down in the guest room and stay with us as long as you like. Amenadiel can sleep on the couch.”

Chloe laughed through her tears and deflected the offer with sincere gratitude as she rose steadily to her feet. “Thank you, Linda, but I just want to crawl into my own bed and distract myself with Netflix until I fall asleep. Besides, this couch is much too small for a big guy like him. Isn’t there room for him in your bed?” she asked, seizing the opportunity to turn the conversation away from herself and Lucifer.

Linda busied herself with tidying up their breakfast mess and replied lightly, “Maybe eventually, but we still have our own issues to work out first.”

Linda walked with her to the front door, both of them chatting and teasing each other, but she stopped Chloe with a hand to her arm before she could walk through it. “I am here for you, Chloe, any time of the day or night. Lucifer may be gone, but you are not alone. Let your friends help you.”

Chloe blinked rapidly to push back the ever-present tears and nodded wordlessly. “I know, Linda. You’ve already helped me more than you can know. I’ll call you soon, okay?”

As she drove back to her apartment, Chloe’s mind churned and spun with everything Linda had said to her, and by the time she found herself dressed once again in Lucifer’s shirt and laying in bed, she was still no closer to finding peace from the overwhelming guilt and stifling recriminations crowding her heart.

Though exhaustion weighed her down and her eyes were gritty with lack of sleep, Chloe could not find the oblivion she so desperately craved. She knew that when sleep finally claimed her, she would only relive the same dream over again, and find herself back in her kitchen drinking too much coffee. She needed to find closure.

Chloe had not been raised particularly religious, and she had no clue how to pray beyond the clasping of hands and reciting of the Lord’s Prayer, and neither of those things seemed appropriate when conversing with the Devil. She felt ridiculous for even considering praying to her old partner, but if there if was even the slightest chance he could hear her, she had to try.

Closing her eyes, Chloe summoned the vision of Lucifer in her mind’s eye. Not the suave, handsome Englishman with the washboard abs and cheeky grin, but the other Lucifer, the one who ruled over Hell and was the embodiment of every human nightmare. She forced herself to face the reality that the man she fell in love with was more than a rich, playboy nightclub owner. He was the son of a god, a fallen angel, and he was the Devil incarnate. He was more than just charming with a few parlor tricks up his tailored sleeve; Lucifer was powerful and commanded legions of demons to do his bidding. If Chloe ever hoped to see him again, she would have to accept and love all of him.

With that image in her mind, Chloe whispered softly, “Lucifer Morningstar, Lightbringer, Samael, Ruler of Hell, hear my prayer.” A lone tear escaped her tightly clenched eyes to roll down her cheek and soak into her pillow. “Forgive me, Lucifer, for all my sins against you. I am so sorry I hurt you.”

As the last word fell from her lips, Chloe fell into the deep, bottomless oblivion of sleep.


	3. Lucifer

_Somewhere in Hell..._

“My king! Please, I beg of you!” the demon choked past the bubbles of black blood seeping from his mouth. “It will not happen again, I swear it!” he finished on a high-pitched scream.

Lucifer’s claws _tap-tap-tapped_ against the arm of his throne as he regarded his formerly loyal general with a mixture of disgust and fury. He ignored the demon’s cries for mercy and indicated for the torture to continue. His new general, Valac, eagerly continued to flay the rough hide from his victim’s body with a flourish worthy of a human chef. The demon’s screams combined with those of his brethren that had joined him in breaking the rules and possessing humans in their quest to kidnap his nephew, Charlie. All of them would be punished for daring to defy him.

“You knew the rules, and you chose to break them, Dromos,” Lucifer reminded him once again, his voice deep and loud in the crowded room. “Not only did you disobey my commands, but you dared to touch what is _mine_. _My_ nephew, _my_ humans. It will not go unpunished.”

Lucifer’s red-tinged gaze swept across the large chamber. It had been Mazikeen’s favorite place to torture the humans who required punishment for their sins. Not only was it big enough to house the roughly two dozen demons that had crossed over to the earth, it was also big enough to include a sizeable audience. Demons of every shape and color had filtered in and out of the chamber since his return to swear their fealty and bear witness to the consequences of crossing him. He’d ensured that every high-ranking demon of his host was present before announcing his final judgment, and he had one very clear message to send to all of them.

With deliberate grace, Lucifer stood to his feet to tower over his subjects. His wide shoulders flexed, and his hooked, bat-shaped wings stretched menacingly wide to command the attention of everyone in the room, and the demons trembled in fear. He took the time to memorize the names and faces of each and every one of the demons that had betrayed him by coming to earth, and he decided that punishment wasn’t enough for what they’d done. He was going to end them, brutally and painfully, as a clear message to any others who dared defy him again.

Lucifer’s fury reignited as his imagination furnished visions of what the demons would have done to Chloe had they succeeded in their hostile takeover of the throne. He’d envisioned every worst-case scenario that could have occurred since the night he’d flown back to reclaim his throne, and the resulting wrath that had consumed him worked like a charm to keep his humanity at bay so that he could do what needed to be done. Humanity and mercy held no sway over demons, Maze being the rare exception, and the only language they understood was violence and fear. He was in the perfect frame of mind for both.

With slow, unhurried steps, Lucifer descended from his throne and began to stroll from one tortured demon to the next studying the handiwork of their punishers. Every eye in the room was riveted on him, and even the prisoners stifled their whimpers as he paused in front of each one to weigh and measure their guilt as the rapt audience awaited his final judgment. When he finally came to a stop in front of Dromos, he lifted his glowing red eyes to his host.

“Let it be known to every demon of my host what happens to those who dare to return to earth in defiance of my orders,” his voice boomed and echoed off the walls of the large chamber. Every demon present held their breath as Lucifer gripped Dromos by the throat and squeezed until his nails punctured the tough hide, and the demon gurgled and choked on the blood pouring from his mouth. He lifted his former general high in the air for all to see and announced his judgement coldly, “Death.”

_Lucifer Morningstar..._

Lucifer paused in carrying out his sentence and looked around to see who had whispered his name, but there were only the sounds of harsh breathing and dripping blood. He shook away the strange sensation and returned his focus to the job at hand. Without hesitation, he used his claws to rip out Dromos’ throat. Steaming black blood and viscera sprayed across Lucifer’s face and chest, but he didn’t even blink. He dropped the limp demon to the floor, still alive, and held out his hand to Valac who obligingly produced his flaming sword wreathed in the deadly blue flames of hellfire and placed it in his palm.

He raised the sword high and prepared to deliver the killing blow.

 

_Lightbringer...Samael..._

Lucifer stumbled beneath the shock of hearing the same voice whispering in his ear, only this time it was a little bit louder. No one else seemed to hear the voice which meant that it wasn’t real. That voice didn’t belong here; it belonged on earth far away from the ugliness and violence of his kingdom.

 

_Ruler of Hell, hear my prayer..._

Lucifer grunted in pain as the familiar voice reverberated through his skull demanding his attention. He knew that voice, recognized the soft lilt of the feminine plea, but it couldn’t be her. There was no way for Chloe to ever join him here; she was a human blessed by his Father and fated to join Him in the Silver City. It had to be a hallucination or trickery on the part of his subjects, because he was never going to see her again.

That thought lent him the burst of rage he needed to see this through, and he brought the flaming edge of the sword down across Dromos’ neck with a roar of savage triumph. The demon’s head flew across the expanse of the room, trailing smoke and midnight blood, and landed amongst the crowd who all scrambled to avoid his fate while the remainder of his body was consumed by the voracious blue flames of hellfire. Lucifer’s breaths sawed in and out of his lungs as he watched the demon burn.

 

_Forgive me, Lucifer, for all my sins against you..._

Lucifer’s arm went numb from the shock of the voice calling to him in his mind, and he dropped the flaming sword to the ground. It was her. It was Chloe’s voice whispering in his head. He didn’t know how or why he could hear her, but he wasn’t about to question it here. He stepped back from the charred remains of his former general, spun on his heel, and stalked away from his host without another word. He had made his point, and Valac would be more than happy to carry out the remainder of the executions.

Lucifer couldn’t stay amongst his subjects for another moment. He burst out of the room and made his way outside where ash and soot floated through the murky air and spread his wings to take flight. The leathery hide of his devil wings lifted him from the ground, and he soared toward his palace on the hill. When the terrace adjoining his bedroom came into sight, Lucifer’s wings beat slower and he glided to a neat, practiced landing on the black slate tiles of the veranda and approached the double doors that lead into his private chambers. He didn’t pause as the doors opened for him unaided, and he strode into his bedroom.

He frowned with uncharacteristic displeasure when he spotted the outline of a body beneath the covers of his bed. He had given orders that he was not to be disturbed in his private chambers. He was in no mood to entertain company, no matter how enthusiastic. Whoever had been brave enough to defy him again would soon recognize their mistake.

Lucifer stalked across the darkened room with the intention of delivering a rude awakening to the offending demon, but his progress was arrested by the familiar voice floating to him from the direction of his bed.

 

“I am so sorry I hurt you.”


	4. Lucifer

For the first time since he’d returned to Hell, Lucifer shed his devil form and resumed his human appearance as he cautiously approached his bed. He must be losing what little was left of his mind, because what he saw was simply not possible. That couldn’t be the detective asleep in his bed; not here, not in Hell, and not without help.

He drew to a stop just out of reach and his gaze ate up every detail illuminated by the ever-burning candles strategically placed around his room. Her long blonde hair glowed golden against the black silk pillow beneath her head, and her gorgeous blue eyes were closed in sleep even as tears slowly leaked down to soak in the hair at her temples. Her cheekbones stood out in sharp relief, shadowed by the dark circles beneath her eyes, and her pale skin was so translucent that he could see the trace of blue veins pumping the blood throughout her body. His greedy gaze traveled lower, and he was arrested by the sight of her chest rising and falling beneath the cover of one of his button-down shirts. Her breasts were small but perfectly formed, and his mouth watered at the sight of her nipples tenting the expensive Italian cotton.

His hand reached out of its own volition, but he stopped himself before he could touch the curve of her cheek, unaccountably afraid that she would disappear like a phantom. Instead, he murmured her name quietly, “Detective?” The moniker didn’t seem to fit her in this place, so he added, “Chloe?”

Her breath caught in her throat and her eyelids fluttered as she shifted against his sheets and kicked the blankets off her long, shapely legs. He groaned low in his chest at the sight of her impromptu nightgown gaping open to reveal a pair of scandalously lacy white panties, and his body responded accordingly. His cock thickened and grew behind his zipper, and he cursed as he rearranged himself like a randy schoolboy.

“Lucifer?” her voice replied to his summons with a sleepy question, and her eyelids blinked to adjust to the low light of his room. She lifted her hand from the bed as if searching for him and whispered, “Lucifer, I’m sorry.”

He couldn’t resist the temptation to touch her any longer, so he carefully seated himself on the bed close to her and captured her hand with his own. He had half-expected to feel nothing more than air, but her skin was real and warm to his touch. Her fingers curled around his own, and she hummed in sleepy pleasure as he caressed her skin with his thumb. His tone was reverent, but concerned, as he demanded gently, “What are you doing here, Chloe? You don’t belong here.” _With me_ , he added silently.

Her blurry eyes focused on his face, and she struggled to sit up in his bed. “Where are we?” she asked, confusion coloring her tone. “I’ve never dreamed of this place before. It’s usually always a repeat of the night you left.”

Lucifer’s eyebrows lowered in consternation. Was she dreaming, or was he? How was any of this possible? Either way, it wouldn’t do to frighten her further by telling her she was in Hell, so he skirted the truth while seeking answers of his own. “We are in one of my many abodes. What were you doing before you arrived here?”

Using her free hand, she rubbed her temple in apparent concentration. “I was in bed, exhausted, and I...and I...was praying for forgiveness.”

Lucifer dropped her hand as if it were on fire and he shot to his feet. All the tender feelings her presence had stirred in him died an ugly death, and the anger he’d nurtured since his return flared easily to life. His tone dripped with scorn as he sneered, “You were praying? Color me confused, Detective, but I was of the impression that you were not the religious sort. I suppose it was to be expected, though. Tell me, did you beg forgiveness from dear old Dad for fraternizing with the Devil? Did you repent for your sins and denounce my evil ways to grease His palm so you could get into the Silver City?”

Chloe scrambled out of the bed and stumbled on bare feet toward him. “No! Lucifer, I wasn’t praying to your father! I don’t need His forgiveness. In fact, I don’t need anything from Him at all.”

He shook away the flare of pleasure her words sparked within him and held fast to the familiar burn of anger lending him the strength to push her away. “Don’t leave me in suspense, Detective. Who is the god of your choosing that you believe will answer your prayers? Buddha? He’s a bit busy with Nirvana at the moment to answer you, I’m afraid. Have you tried Ganesha? I’ve heard wonderful things about his long, thick trunk,” he sneered.

Her big blue eyes filled with tears and she hesitantly took another step closer to him. “No, I have no need for those other gods. There is only one celestial being that I have sinned against, only one to whom I owe my repentance.” His heartbeat thundered in his chest, and his mouth went dry as she dropped to her knees at his feet before looking up to capture his gaze. “I was praying to you, Lucifer Morningstar.”

Her confession hit him like physical blow as he looked down at her incredulously. “Why would you do such a thing? I am not a god to be worshipped and appeased like my Father. I do not count the sins of humans and weigh them for judgement like Him. I am no more than a fallen angel, forced to carry out His punishments so He doesn’t have to get His hands dirty. I am not in the business of holding humans responsible for their sins; I’m in the business of punishing them.”

Hot, salty tears continued to streak down her cheeks, and she gazed up at him with anguish and pain radiating from her in waves. “Then punish me, Lucifer. I deserve it.”


	5. Chloe

Chloe knew she was only dreaming, knew that Lucifer wasn’t really there, but it didn’t matter. She may never see him in the flesh again, and if she only got to see him in her dreams, then she would make the most of it. She would tell him everything, beg for his forgiveness, and she would never lie to him again.

“Then punish me, Lucifer. I deserve it,” she confessed raggedly.

He immediately shook his head in the negative and stepped away from her hastily. “What? Why would I punish you? You’ve done nothing wrong.”

Chloe swiped away the moisture from her face and prepared to make her confession. “We both know that’s not true. How many times have I refused to believe you and accused you of lying to me about who you really are?” Every word that slipped from her throat scratched like sandpaper, but she doggedly continued, “And when I was finally forced to face the truth, I ran instead of staying and learning more about you. I allowed my fear to overwhelm me and wash away the years of partnership and trust we’d built together, and I willingly conspired with Father Kinley to trick you into going back to Hell. I lied to you. I betrayed you when you’d done nothing more than speak the truth, and I flinched from your devil form out of fear and ignorance. I know I’ve hurt you, and I know I’ve caused you pain. I witnessed it the night of the masquerade ball, but I was too weak to face it and be honest about it with you.”

Her palms were sweaty against her thighs, and her whole body trembled with adrenaline and emotion. Usually, Lucifer’s expressions were easy to read, but the shadows of his room obscured her vision. His tone gave her no clues to go by when he replied carefully, “You were afraid, Detective, and with good reason. Humans have been indoctrinated for millennia to fear and loathe me, so why would you be any different? If I punished every mortal that screamed at the sight of my devil face, Hell would be overrun.”

Chloe shook her head angrily. “Don’t make excuses for what I did, Lucifer. I’ve had weeks to exhaust every one of them, and none of them hold water. I’m done lying to myself, and I’m done lying to you. I can never repair what I broke between us. The only thing left is penance.”

He did not move or speak immediately as weighted silence descended between them. Her knees ached from her position on the black marble floor, but she welcomed it as her due. She wanted nothing more than to run into his arms and kiss him once more, but she didn’t deserve to touch him, no matter how badly she wanted to trace the ridges of muscles on his bare chest. He was dressed only in a pair of slacks as if she had interrupted him preparing for bed, and she drank in the sight of his human physical perfection.

“You say that you are done lying, so tell me the truth, Chloe. Were you lying when you said that you loved me?” he asked, his tone measured and guarded.

Her stomach plummeted to her feet and her throat swelled closed to hold back her answer, but she owed him the truth. All of it. “Yes,” she breathed her answer as fresh tears streamed down her face. Before he could react, she hastily added, “And no. I love the Lucifer I’ve known for the past few years as my partner and friend, but that person is so much more than I realized. How can I say I love you when I’ve done nothing but push away and hide from the devil part of you? I can’t love what I don’t understand.”

She braced herself for his reaction, and she didn’t have to wait for long. A pained snarl ripped from his chest and he transformed before her eyes into the Devil. This time, though, she did not look away or flinch at the sight of his mottled skin, glowing red eyes, and towering bat-shaped wings.

His voice was deeper and full of self-loathing when he demanded, “What is there to understand about this?” He swept his hand along his body as evidence. “Do you want to know what I was doing right before I found you in my bed? I was delivering the killing blow to the demon that kidnapped Charlie right after I’d ripped his throat out with my bare hand. There is nothing here for you to love, Detective.”

Chloe finally stood to her feet, and she closed the distance between them without looking away. “You’re wrong, Lucifer. No matter which face you wear, you are still the same person inside. I understand that now. I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

She reached out her hand to touch him, but he stepped out of her reach and into the shadows. “You should be afraid,” he replied darkly. “You have no idea the things I’ve done over my very long lifetime. You don’t know the full scope of horrors I’ve committed to earn this form.”

Without hesitation, Chloe stepped into the shadows with him until little more than a breath separated their bodies. She could feel the ethereal power of his divinity drawing her closer, tempting her to touch him, and she gave in easily. Her hand trailed over his chest, and she marveled at the texture and heat of his reddened skin. She could feel his heart pounding beneath her palm, and she replied softly, “It doesn’t matter to me, Lucifer, because I know the truth. You’ve proven yourself time and time again over the past few years. You never harm the innocent, you protect those you care about, and you are willing to sacrifice yourself to keep us safe. I know you would never hurt me.”

His chest rose and fell faster beneath the sweep of her fingers as she continued to explore him, and his clawed hands balled into fists at his sides. “If touching me like this is your penance for your supposed sins, it isn’t necessary or wanted. I have no desire to punish you, Chloe.”

Her nipples chafed beneath the soft cotton of his shirt, and her sex warmed and swelled with desire as she threaded her arms behind his neck and raised herself on her toes until they were face-to-face. She gathered every bit of her courage and bared her soul to the Devil. “I told you I was done lying to you, Lucifer. The truth is that I want you whether you are human, angel, or devil. I want every part of you in my life and in my bed. I am already paying my penance, because I didn’t realize it until it was too late.”

His large, clawed hand gripped her own to stop her exploration, and he carefully tilted her chin with his other until they were eye-to-eye. “You don’t have to do this to prove anything to me. I can be the man you fell in love with on earth, and you will never have to see this side of me again.”

She wanted to cry with frustration, because he still didn’t believe her. How could she put her darkest desires into mere words? What could she say to him to make him understand the way his devil form affected her now? Maybe words weren’t necessary anymore. This was her dream, and she could do whatever she wanted in it. The time for pretty words was past. It was time for action.

Without looking away from him, she tugged her hand away from his grip and began to open the buttons on her shirt. He made no move to stop her, and she allowed the fabric to slip down her arms to pool on the floor. “No more hiding for either for us, Lucifer,” she told him as her panties landed at her feet. Completely naked, Chloe stepped into his space until the tight points of breasts rubbed against his chest and cradled his jaw in her palm. Her lips hovered just beneath his own, and she breathed, “I want you to fuck me, Lucifer. Right here, right now, just like this.”


	6. Lucifer

Lucifer was not known to deny himself anything he desired, except for her, and his control had never been so sorely tested as it was in this moment. His body was on fire for her after years of denying himself, and the nature of his devil form would not allow him to be gentle. Chloe deserved so much better than a quick fuck, but damned if he could resist her request.

Lucifer growled a curse and crushed her against his chest as he captured her lips in a hard, punishing kiss. This kiss was not like the others they’d shared; this kiss burned with unfettered hunger. He plunged between her lips to steal the flavor of coffee and sugar, and she fed him her sighs of surrender. She opened herself up to him willingly and accepted all the passion, lust, fury, and pain that he poured into her, and she gave him back her desire, longing, regret, and love.

With just a thought, his wings beat against the air, and he carried her across the room to the bed as she hooked her long legs around his waist. He could feel the heat of her sex cushioned against his hardness as he pressed her into the mattress and the scent of her arousal filled his nose. He wanted everything at once, but he was not in a rush to reach the end. With reluctance, he broke away from her lips to lick and kiss the graceful arch of her throat as her fingernails scored lines across his shoulders.

When he reached her breasts, he suckled and lathed her nipples until she cried out his name, but he gave her no quarter. Now that he finally had her beneath him, he would never be done with her. With extreme care, he slid his clawed hand down the concave slope of her abdomen headed unerringly for her core as he nipped the tight buds before sucking away the sting to the tune of her moans. His fingers slipped easily over her nether lips, borne on the glide of her arousal, and he expertly stroked and teased at her engorged clit as she clung to him while pleading for more.

“So wet for me, Chloe,” he crooned with liquid sin dripping from his lips as he gently eased a finger inside her channel.

Her hips rolled up toward him, and he nearly unmanned himself in his slacks when she panted, “Only for you, Lucifer.”

His chest rumbled with a suppressed growl, and he rose to his knees to create space between them before he lost all control and took her right there. She protested his absence by reaching out for him, and he could see true panic flare in the depths of her eyes, but he wasn’t going anywhere. It was far too late for that now. Reaching down, he grasped her under her knees and hooked them over his shoulders so that his face was buried in the fragrant junction of her thighs. He cradled the globes of her ass in his palms, lifting her lower half from the bed, and he paused with his lips just scant centimeters away from tasting her. He allowed his breath to ghost over the sensitive flesh, and Chloe’s chest rose and fell rapidly with her excitement.

“Lucifer, please,” she begged, her voice a ragged whisper in the dark.

His wings flared across his back, and his eyes glowed bright enough to cast her in crimson shadow. His corrupted celestial power rushed through his veins, and his voice was deep and commanding when he said, “Pay the penance you owe me, Chloe. You will beg before I grant you release.”

Lucifer called upon all his vast knowledge of the female anatomy, and he unleashed it with lips and teeth and tongue. He bathed in the ambrosia between her thighs, drank the essence that poured across his tongue, and tasted a glimpse of the Silver City in her arousal. He dragged his tongue through her folds and teased her clit until her cries echoed off the walls and her voice grew hoarse and raspy. Each time her legs began to tremble, and she pressed her clit against his tongue, he denied her release and started all over again. Chloe was a wrecked, beautiful mess beneath him as he coaxed her higher and higher without ever allowing relief, and she sang in his name over and over in a litany of blasphemous prayer.

“Please, please, please,” she chanted, her head tossing back and forth in torment. “Lucifer, please!”

He smiled as he captured an errant drop of her essence with his tongue. “What is it you desire, Chloe?” he asked, his voice curling and snaking through the candle-lit room.

“You!” she cried out with a tortured whimper. “I want you to fuck me and make me come. Please let me come, Lucifer!”

The deadly sins of pride, lust, and gluttony swelled inside him, feeding the depraved monster in his soul, and he chuckled against the soft, silky skin of her thigh. “You were the one that requested punishment, Chloe. You have not begun to suffer.”

He knew he couldn’t push her much further before her body wrested back control and succumbed to pleasure, so he released her legs to collapse against the bed where they splayed open in a wanton display. His cock was like rebar trapped behind his zipper, and he deftly shed them until he was as naked as she. Small, broken whimpers crowded her throat, and her eyes widened with anticipation and a little fear at the sight of his nakedness. True, she had seen him without clothing in his human form, and he was well-endowed by comparison to them, but his devil form was even bigger.

He fisted himself in his clawed hand and stroked the rigid flesh until a drop of pearly liquid beaded at the tip. “Come and worship at my altar,” he commanded, his tone daring her to resist him.

She did not hesitate to lift herself from the bed, and she slowly crawled across its expanse toward with him sensuous grace. Her long, blonde hair was a wild tangle, her cheeks were flush with blood, and her eyes glittered with reflected candlelight as she licked her lips in lascivious expectation. Lucifer’s heart thundered behind his ribs and his dark red cock jerked in his grip when Chloe drew to a stop between his spread legs and ran her hands up the quivering muscles of his thighs and boldly cupped his large balls in her palm.

She squeezed and rolled them in her hands as she looked at him from beneath her eyelashes. Her voice was rich and full of feminine desire as she purred, “I bow down to my king.”

Lucifer grunted and cursed as she lowered her mouth to the head of his cock and licked away the pooling moisture before pushing her lips over the crown to take him into her mouth. He was too big for her to take much of him, but that didn’t stop her from trying. She used her lips, tongue, and hands to show her devotion to him, and he groaned each time she took him too deep and gagged around him. He rewarded her superior efforts by holding her hair in his clawed fist and guided her speed and rhythm to best please him, but it took all his considerable will power to resist the impulse to thrust down her throat, especially when she hummed and moaned around him. He wanted to torture her with pleasure, but he did not want her pain.

Tugging lightly on her hair, he forced her to release his cock with an obscene wet noise. “That is enough for now.”

She looked up at him with pleading in her pale blue eyes and rasped, “Will you fuck me now, Lucifer? Please?”


	7. Lucifer

He could no longer resist the siren song of his name on her lips or the heaven to be found between her thighs. Without replying, he picked her up by her narrow hips and suspended her over his lap until he could feel the heat of her swollen sex bathing the wide crown of his cock. Eagerly, she twined her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as she rolled her hips in an effort to capture him. Lucifer’s claws dug into the soft pillows of her ass and spread her open wide to receive him, but he paused with his cock merely kissing the entrance to her body.

“Once we do this, there is no going back to the way things used to be between us, Detective,” he warned her between rough kisses along her throat. “This changes everything.”

He closed his eyes and shuddered as she caressed the spots where his wings sprouted from his back before continuing her exploration of the fine bones and leathery hide that covered them. “Good,” she whispered fervently. “Take me, Lucifer. I’m yours.”

A pained snarl ripped from his chest, and he pressed inside of her while pulling her down over his length. Stars exploded behind his eyelids as her soft, slick heat parted around him, and her fingernails dug into the rough, scarred hide of his back as she moaned her pleasure. Her grip on his shaft was tight, and he began to sweat as he pushed his way deeper inside her, but he couldn’t stop or slow down to allow her time to adjust to his size. He was too far gone in a haze of lust that ratcheted higher and wound tighter with every squeeze of her pussy stretching to accommodate him, and her keening wails did nothing to slow his advance.

“Oh, my god! Lucifer, I can’t!” she cried, burying her face in the crook of his neck when finally paused halfway inside her. “It’s too much!”

He pulled back enough to give her moment’s respite before he thrust in deeper, sinking another inch. “You were made by my father for just for me. Your body was created to be joined to mine,” he growled, thrusting sharply as he yanked down on her hips. His cock speared through the tight, clenching muscles of her sex until his entire length was ensconced inside her.

Her scream echoed and bounced off the walls of his chamber, and he lay her down on the bed so he could sink even deeper. He kissed and licked away the tears that trickled from the corners of her eyes, and she clung to him as she begged him to fuck her. When he was satisfied that she was in no pain, he began to push and pull his cock in and out of her tight, wet heat in an ancient rhythm he’d perfected over millennia. Chloe was wild beneath him, struggling to meet each thrust by hooking her feet around his legs for added momentum as she sobbed for release.

He couldn’t get enough her, couldn’t sink far enough inside of her to appease the fire consuming his body in unholy flames. Never had he been so perilously close to losing control as he was wrapped in her arms and surrounded by her scent. No other man, woman, or demon had ever pushed him to brink of madness that demanded he mark and claim them as his own until her. His claws shredded the black silk of his sheets as he pounded into her, and he hissed his claim in the ancient tongue of his birth as she writhed and pleaded with him for more.

He gave it to her. His wings unfurled and they beat against the air to give him the leverage to fuck her harder and faster. Chloe’s voice had gone hoarse from her cries, and her words were unintelligible as she climbed higher toward her peak. He knew she was close, knew he couldn’t stop her this time from falling, so he pulled back enough to grip her jaw in his clawed hand and forced her to meet his gaze. “Come for me, Chloe. Give the Devil his due.”

Her body seized beneath him, and her pussy clamped down on his cock with such force that he cursed as she wailed her release to the heavens. He did not stop and did not slow down as she crested over and over again, and he fucked her through it all. Only when she grew limp and her legs fell open did he allow himself to chase his own completion. Bracing himself on one arm, he placed his crimson, clawed hand over her left breast and spoke the words he’d sworn he would never utter again. Red light glowed from under his palm, and searing heat blossomed as he thrust deep inside her and came with savage roar. With each final thrust, he emptied his seed into her womb, and she urged him on with sleepy entreaties to fill her to overflowing.

When the last tremor of his climax faded, his devil form melted away with it, and his wings retracted until he was once again human in appearance. Chloe covered his hand with her own where it still rested against her heart, and she lazily brushed her fingers through his hair with her other as he caught his breath and kissed her lips with a reverence reserved for the divine.

Gently, he eased his softening cock from her channel, and she hissed when he slid free to release the flood of his seed to pool between her thighs. He remained poised above her, their hands still clasped over her heart, and he searched her expression in the shadows. “How do you feel, Detective?” he asked cautiously when her silence continued.

Her bee-stung lips tipped up in a weary smile, and she whispered, “Like I’ve been born again.” He sucked in a shocked breath, and she chuckled softly and squeezed his hand. “What did you do to me, Lucifer? It felt like my chest was on fire for a brief moment right there at the end.”

Carefully, he removed his hand to reveal what he’d done, and he hoped that she wouldn’t panic once more. In the pale skin above her breast and over her heart, there was small, crimson brand in the vague shape of numbers. Chloe traced the healed scar with lowered eyebrows, and she shot him a confused look. “What does this mean?” she asked curiously.

Lucifer swallowed past the dryness in his throat and recited from memory, “ _Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast; for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.”_


	8. Chloe

Chloe looked up at the familiar, human visage of Lucifer where he still rested between her legs, and she struggled to marshal her sluggish thoughts. “Six hundred threescore and six? That’s...,” she paused to suck in a sharp breath as understanding dawned. “The mark of the Beast.”

Lucifer looked away from her and hid his face as he rolled off of her and lay down at her side. Chloe looked down at the brand over her heart and traced the flowery swirls that only vaguely resembled three sixes. “If you wish to call it that,” he replied stiffly. “Personally, I just prefer to call it my signature. John the Apostle was a bit dramatic, not to mention a drunkard and habitual user of psychotropic mushrooms. We were friends for a time before he wrote his little ‘revelation.’”

Chloe couldn’t stop touching his mark, and she fiercely slammed the door shut on the poisonous fear that threatened to well up inside her. She would not run away from again. “This is your name? What does the mark mean?”

He glanced at her suspiciously, likely expecting her to panic, and he explained carefully, “The mark is a key of sorts. Any demon or human spirit that bears my name branded into their flesh can come and go between the gates that separates Hell from earth. When I was first exiled from the Silver City and filled with bitterness, I marked most of my demon host so they could torment the humans as revenge upon my father. That mark is how they were able to possess and control human bodies. I had banned the practice centuries ago, but there is no removing the mark once I place it.”

Chloe nodded thoughtfully, but that didn’t answer her question. Not really. “What does the mark mean for me specifically?”

Lucifer rolled onto his side and reached out to run his knuckles across the curve of her cheek. He was sinfully handsome in his human form, and she couldn’t resist rolling into the hard planes of his chest to rest her cheek against his beating heart. He wrapped his arms around her, placed a tender kiss on top of her head, and replied softly, “It means that I have claimed you as mine. All who bear witness to the mark will know that you are under my protection.”

She rubbed her cheek against his skin that smelled of sandalwood, brimstone, and spice. There was one more question she had to ask, but she didn’t want to offend him or upset the delicate balance of their communion. Still, she had promised to be honest with him, so she cleared her throat and asked tentatively, “Does this mean I will go to Hell when I die?”

His hands fisted against the small of her back, but he released them along with a heavy sigh. “No, Detective. I have no authority over human souls unless they are judged and sent to me for punishment by my father. You are a good person with love and kindness in your heart. You will dine with my siblings in the Silver City when the time comes.”

Inexplicably, his words caused her eyes to well with tears of sadness. “It won’t be heaven if you aren’t there with me,” she choked on her words.

His arms squeezed her tighter and he soothed her with soft caresses. “That is a problem for another day far, far into the future. We have now with each other, and that is more than I deserve.”

Chloe snuggled into embrace, and they fell quiet as they simply held on to each other. In no time, her eyelids began to droop, but she stubbornly refused to give in to weighty call of sleep. She didn’t want to lose this dream and move on to another. She wanted to stay with him longer and ask all the questions she had been too afraid voice since the night she saw his true face for the first time.

Apparently, Lucifer was aware of her battle, because he murmured, “Sleep, Detective. I will watch over you until you wake.”

Her eyelids refused her command to open and her voice was slurred with exhaustion when she whispered, “Don’t want to leave you. Want to stay.”

His chest vibrated beneath her cheek with a chuckle. “You must go home and resume your life, Detective. There are people there that depend on you to keep them safe. You can come back to me anytime. Simply touch my mark and speak my name, and the gates will open for you.”

Chloe hummed her acknowledgement, even if she didn’t really understand him. She had no choice in the matter, though. Her spirit was willing to stay, but her flesh was weak. She was no match for the drugging effects of fatigue that dragged her down like quicksand. Before she succumbed, she breathed his name. “Lucifer...I love you.”

His voice seemed far away and full of ghostly echoes when he replied softly, “And I, you, Detective.”

Surrounded by his warmth and the scent of their mating, Chloe fell into a deep, bottomless sleep.


	9. Chloe

Chloe woke in slow, gradual stages that resulted in her burrowing beneath her covers several times before falling into a light doze once more. She didn’t want to wake up and drink coffee in her kitchen alone; she wanted to go back to the delicious dream of being held in Lucifer’s arms. Unfortunately, reality had other plans in store for her.

The loud trill of her cell phone ringing rudely severed her from the peaceful floating of half-wakefulness, and she sat bolt upright in her bed. Her room was illuminated with early morning LA sunshine, and a glance at her clock showed the time to be 10 am. Her eyebrows lowered with confusion as her cell phone continued to demand her attention. Without checking the caller ID, she picked it up and answered it brusquely, “Decker.”

 _“You’re not dead,”_ a familiar, feminine voice announced. _“Good. I’ll tell Linda that she was wrong and I was right. Again.”_

“Maze?” Chloe asked, already knowing the answer. “Why would I be dead?”

An unladylike snort filtered through the earpiece. _“Because no one has been able to reach you for 24 hours. Linda was worried about you, so she asked me to track you down to make sure you weren’t dead. Mission accomplished.”_

“24 hours?” Chloe gasped. “I’ve been in bed asleep for an entire day?”

 _“I guess so,”_ Maze answered. _“I had a feeling something was up when you didn’t show up to haunt Lucifer’s penthouse at 2 in the morning.”_

The mention of his name brought memories of her dream rushing back, and Chloe dropped her blanket to stare down at herself in disbelief. She distinctly remembered wearing Lucifer’s shirt to bed, but now she was stark naked. Not only that, but her abdomen ached from rough sex and her thighs were tacky with drying semen. Most telling of all, though, was the pink scar of Lucifer’s mark over her heart.

“Maze? Can you come over? Something strange has happened,” Chloe rasped, her voice shaky with confusion.

 _“Strange is my middle name,”_ the demoness quipped dryly. _“I can be there in half an hour.”_

Chloe’s stomach cramped and growled loudly, and she added gratefully, “Thank you, Maze. Can you stop and pick up some food on your way? Anything with protein.”

A long-suffering sigh ghosted across the line, but she replied grudgingly, _“Fine, but you’re paying for both of us.”_

Chloe agreed readily and hung up the phone. She wouldn’t have long to get presentable before her former roommate showed up, so she threw the covers back on the bed and headed to the bathroom. After taking the longest piss of her life, Chloe turned the shower knobs until the water was the perfect balance between hot and cold and slid beneath the spray. If she had any doubt remaining about the reality of her time spent with Lucifer, it was erased when she ran the washcloth over the tender folds between her thighs. Last night had been no dream. Her entire body was feeling the effects of her time in the Devil’s bed.

As Chloe finished getting dressed, she heard the sound of her door opening and the click of Maze’s high-heeled boots walking across the floor. After securing her wet hair in a loose bun, Chloe slipped her feet into a pair of sandals and headed toward the smell of greasy take-out mixed with the distinctive scent of black leather and amber. When she arrived in the kitchen, she saw Maze sitting at the countertop bar already putting a hefty dent in the huge cheeseburger gripped between her hands.

Chloe’s stomach growled again, and her mouth flooded with saliva as she rummaged in the white bag for her own meal. “Thank god for In-N-Out burgers. I’m starving,” she said by way of greeting as she unwrapped her double cheeseburger and stuffed a handful of fries in her mouth.

“Don’t thank Him,” the demoness said, spraying bits of chewed up food. “This place was founded because Lucifer granted the owners a favor.”

Chloe shook her head with bemusement, but she shouldn’t have been surprised. It seemed like his influence was all around her now that she knew where to look. Still, she was too hungry to dwell on the matter, and she made short work of her burger and fries, and even managed to snag a few of Maze’s before she threatened to stab her through the hand if she tried it again.

When they were both done with their meal, Maze leaned back in her chair and looked Chloe over from top to bottom with a critical eye. “There’s something different about you, but I can’t put my finger on it. Spill.”

Chloe sighed and distracted herself by throwing away their trash and wiping away the crumbs from the countertop. “Well, I’m not really sure what happened while I was asleep, but I saw Lucifer.”

Maze yawned in exaggerated boredom. “So, you had a dream. Big deal.”

Chloe made a frustrated noise. “No, you don’t understand. I _saw_ him. I _touched_ him. We were in a bedroom I’d never seen before, and he said it was one of his abodes.”

That made Maze sit up and take notice. “Where did you see him? How did you see him? Has he come back? Did he punish that bastard Dromos for taking Charlie?” she shot out questions with rapid-fire intensity.

Chloe raised her hand to slow her down. “How about I start at the beginning and you can save your questions for when I’m done, okay? I’m actually hoping you will be the one to have answers.”

Maze conceded to her easily, and Chloe took a deep breath and let it out slowly before she began to speak. She told her about the visit with Amenadiel and Linda and how the petite psychiatrist had counseled her on speaking to Lucifer. From there, Chloe told her about praying as she fell asleep, and how she awoke in a different bed with black satin sheets in a room filled with flickering candles. When Chloe told her that Lucifer was there, the demoness leaned in and fixed her with an unnerving stare. After a heavily redacted account of their encounter in his devil form, Chloe finally arrived at the strange part.

“I finally woke up when you called me this morning. I thought it was all a lucid dream, but there was obvious...evidence that it had been very, very real,” she concluded, hedging to reveal the details about dried come on her thighs.

Mazikeen’s eyebrows wiggled with mischief, and she said, “Like what? Are you pregnant with Rosemary’s baby now? I wouldn’t mind babysitting for the antichrist. Sounds like fun.”

“What?” Chloe exclaimed, taken aback. “No! At least, I don’t think so. No, definitely not,” she insisted, relieved as she remembered the IUD she’d had put in at her last appointment. “That’s not what I meant. There’s something else, though.”

Gripping the edge of her tank top, Chloe pulled it down far enough to expose the upper swell of her left breast. She wasn’t sure what to expect from the demoness, but it definitely wasn’t for her to lunge across the counter to grab her boob and run her fingers across the scarred swirls of Lucifer’s name. Chloe smacked Maze’s hand away and hastily tucked herself back into her tank top.

“He marked you,” Maze said with disbelief. “He swore he would never place his seal on another. The last time he did it was over two thousand years ago.”

Chloe rubbed her temples with exasperation. “Yes, he told me all that, Maze.”

The demoness arched her eyebrow and considered Chloe with new respect. “Did he tell you that he’s never placed his mark there before? He either marked his demons on their foreheads or hands,” she explained, holding out her own hand as proof. Chloe squinted and searched for the evidence, and she found the faded, flowery script of his name on the palm of Maze’s right hand.

Chloe shook her head, even more confused. “How did this happen, Maze? One minute I was in my bed praying, and the next I was with Lucifer. He was surprised to see me there, so I don’t think he made it happen, and he didn’t mark me until...we were together.”

Maze tapped her chin with a pointed fingernail in obvious thought. “From your description of the room, it sounds as if you went to Hell. And if he didn’t bring you there, I can think of only one other that would have the power to bring you there.”

Chloe leaned in closer and demanded, “Who, Maze?”

The demoness rolled her eyes and pointed at the ceiling. “Who else? His father. You may have been praying to Lucifer, but it seems someone else was listening.”

Chloe sat down abruptly on her stool and stared at her former roommate aghast. “You think He sent me to Lucifer? But, why?”

Maze shrugged her shoulders, clearly over the topic already. “Who knows? Maybe it was His way of rewarding you both, or His way of punishing you both. Maybe He was just fucking with you because He can. Does it really matter? Either way, you now have Lucifer’s mark and can visit him anytime you please. It’s a win-win for you both.”

Chloe wasn’t so sure about that. What would happen if she stayed too long? It had seemed as if she was only with him for a few hours, but she had been asleep on earth for over 24. Apparently, time moved very differently down there, so she would have to be careful. She was needed here at home. Trixie needed her mother, and the city of Los Angeles needed her to solve murders, but she needed Lucifer. She needed her partner back.

Raising her blue eyes to meet Mazikeen’s black ones, she said with conviction, “I need your help, Maze.”

As if it materialized from thin air, a curved blade appeared in both of Maze’s hands. “Who do I need to kill?”

She couldn’t help but smile at her friend’s enthusiasm, but she shook her head in the negative. “No one, I hope. I need your help to bring Lucifer back. We’re going to break him out of there and bring him home.”

A slow, evil smile split her lips, and Maze said simply, “I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Well, here it is! I sincerely hope you enjoyed my first DeckerStar fic! If you have the time and are of a mind to, please drop a few lines of feedback and let me know how you feel about it. I'm sending out good vibes to all of you, and I wish you nothing but peace, love, and happiness. Peace out!***


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